The present invention relates to a transport box configured for being transformable into a lap tray,                the transport box comprises a compartment defined by opposite side walls, a front wall opposite a rear wall, and a bottom,        said walls delimiting an opening opposite the bottom for accessing the compartment,        the opening has a circumferential edge, which is defined by opposite upper edges of the side walls, an upper edge of the front wall and an upper edge of the rear wall, and        a lid for the opening comprises at least a first lid part extending from the circumferential edge of the opening.        
The present invention also relates to an insert for the transport box, blanks that are foldable into the transport box and the insert, a method of assembling the blanks and the insert, and uses of the transport box as a lap tray and for transporting one or more objects such as food and/or beverages.
Preferably the transport box is a food transport box, although other kind of objects may be quite as suited for use with the transport box.
Boxes for transporting objects such as e.g. food that are made from e.g. a foldable cardboard blank and are able to be positioned on top of the thighs of a seated user when consuming the food by opening the box, are well-known. However, in such a position the box could easily tilt or slide off the thighs of the user in case he moves his thighs, is seated inside a moving vehicle or accidentally pushed the box.
The art of folding a blank, i.e. a piece of e.g. cardboard or carton, into a box is well-known from the packaging industry. Generally, the blanks of the present invention can be made by cutting cardboard into desired shape and making the needed fold lines. The blanks could also be provided with a pleasant color or a logo via printing, embossing, via labels or combinations of these, and/or it could be laminated. The blanks are preferably shipped in the flat form, and afterwards folded and assembled into the final shape by a machine or by hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,339 discloses a foldable lap tray made from a corrugated cardboard blank. The top portion is provided with a circular hole for holding a cup and vertical flaps for counteracting objects from sliding off the tray. The tray is provided with bottom portions extending underneath the seated persons thighs and interlocked together for providing stability to the tray. However the top portion is only kept horizontal as long as the user does not move his thighs, which is not likely during the time period it takes to e.g. consume a burger and a beverage in a car or at a sporting event.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,455 discloses a foldable lap tray made from a corrugated cardboard blank, where the bottom of the tray is provided with inverted V-shaped support legs that the user can grip with his thighs in order to stabilize the tray when seated. However the thighs of a seated person may not be parallel, which means that the support legs do not follow the natural position of the thighs.
Thus, the known lap trays mentioned above do not provide an optimal stabilization of the tray. Furthermore, they do not provide means for ensuring that the food is kept on the tray, and they are not convertible from a transport box for transporting the food before the user is seated and begins consuming the food.
Hence there is a need for a transport box of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph with means for providing stability and means for ensuring that objects, such as food, is kept on the tray when used as a lap tray by a seated user.